Colorado Commission on Aging April 1, 2014 CDHS Garden Level Conference Room 9am-4pm
Attendees: Linda Beundorf, Joe Urban, Betty Sweeney, Judy Hensley, Todd Coffey, Greg Smith, Ruth Long, Dar Vriesman, Gail Ploen, Vivian Stovall, , Jeannette Hensley, Sara Canfield, Bob Spuhler - joined by phone at 9:27am Guests: Jean McCallister, Mary McGhee, Bobby Samson, and Jeffrey Moulton Boards and Commissions Update on Policies and Procedures: Jean McCallister and Mary McGhee. • Governor's order that can't serve on Board for longer than 8 years or two terms, whichever is longer. • CDHS has 35 Boards, Commissions, and Councils. • Limits and Laws discussed, web based training. • Half of CCOA has taken the training (half of all Board members - 300 or so out of 550 total board members). • Reviewing by-laws to make sure they are consistent with their appointment and authority. Some Boards have authorized themselves to do more than they have the authority to do. • Electronic format for applications that must be used so that the Governor's Office knows who is on each Board/Commission. • 31 of the 35 Boards/Commissions through CDHS are "advisory" Clearance: Board, Office Director, Mary McGhee's shop for technical adjustments, then to EMT (Dee). • The web training is intended to support and inform members and make sure they operate within the proper scope and limits. • Legal opinions come from the AG's office, even if you have lawyers on the Board. • Members Roles: Can speak publicly about service on the Commission but must ensure that when giving a stance on something that it is the Commission's stance and is reflected in the minutes or elsewhere. If a decision has not been made on a matter, must ensure that if you speak publicly it is a personal opinion and not that of the Commission. • Act in the public's interest and not personal interest. Avoid conflicts of interest. • Staff Roles: Ensure that the Department is in compliance with the law. Attend all meetings, phone calls, emails about Council/Board business. Responsible for getting things through the Department's clearance process. Responsible for maintaining records and making them available should there be a CORA request. Question around email communication. Must copy Todd and Tara on Commission communication. If they do that, then the State can provide a history of email communication. If not, then their email could be a subject of an open records request. • Bobby - requesting state email for this reason as there is a lot of non-Commission communications in their personal email. Mary will take this request back.
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3 years is the time that the records should be maintained. This is standard and some fiscal/budget records must be maintained for 7 years. • Another option is to have a phone conference and have minutes of that call rather than email exchange. CCOA hold legislative calls every Monday, public meeting yet the spreadsheet was pulled off of the web which is confusing (Jeanette). • This is because the Department cannot take a position on a bill without approval of the Governor's office. This is different than posting minutes. • Mary recommends that if the Commission wants to take a position on a bill, write it up and send through the Department for Clearance which will ultimately get to the Governor. • Can post the spreadsheet of bills being "monitored" and take off the "position" column. Jeanette feels like what is the point of monitoring legislation if they cannot take a position and promote it? Bobby - what is the motivation around doing all the work and research if their position is not heard? Mary - the CCOA statute specifically states that their position must be pushed through the Department. Vivian - Dee came and talked to them but put the conversation on hold and hasn't gotten back to them, if they can't advocate then what is their purpose? If they have to wait two or three weeks for the Department to clear a position on a bill, that bill has probably been PI'd by then, need quicker response. Bob (phone) - put their support of the additional $4M for seniors through the Department and never heard back so sent it to JBC. It has to go through so many approvals and could get waylaid at any point. Question around what happened to the letter of support for the $4M that went through clearance. Need to have Jean and Mary back for the ongoing conversation.
Community First Choice Initiative: Martha Beavers: (handout) • Allows States to add to their Medicaid plan services for people to stay in the community. • Person centered planning, consumer directed options, services in the community the consumer resides (ADLs, Transportation, Respite, Personal Care Services, etc.) • Receive an enhanced match rate from Feds. Oregon and California are the only States with an implemented program. • Lacking representation from the elderly on the CFC Council. Next meeting is first week of May. SEPs, CCBs (and possibly AAAs) to provide Case Management (required by the program). CCBs may not qualify as case managers as they also provide services which would create a conflict of interest. • Impact to HCBS on self-directed waiver? CFC not limited by age or disability so open to more consumers than HCBS. CFC is part of ACA, but helps with Olmstead. Update on Health Care Policy and Financing and Medicaid: Tom Massey • Medicaid Expansion - 60% under 20 years old, 32% adult, 10% Disabled, 8% Elderly. $7.5B budget and almost 1M people covered. • April 1st starts Medicaid dental benefit, up to $1,000. Cleanings and such right now, but by this summer will cover crowns and such, ultimately may cover dentures. • Impact in next ten years of Medicaid Expansion: 23K jobs and $4.4B • Limiting factor may be the provider network.
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Added 150k people to Medicaid since October 1, 2013, well past projections.
Update on Aging and Adult Services: Todd Coffey Older Americans’ Act Reauthorization Jayla Sanchez-Warren and Mickey Ferrell, DRCOG • • • • •
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Mickey is DRCOG's federal lobbyist. OAA programs - must be authorized from time to time. Last passed in 2006 and typically lasts for about 6 years so it expired a couple of years ago. Sequestration occurred. Now those funding formulas have become a problem, especially for Colorado. About 17 States are in a Hold Harmless state from 2006, so the rest of the states (39 have been hurt, including territories) and are having to shoulder the burden. Potential solution, bill would shift about 12% from hold harmless states to the other states. CO would see about 3% up front and about 8% not-cut on the back-end. Would phase in over many years. One Senator is holding this up and requesting for additional funding to cover this 12% shift. Senator Bennet is supportive of the OAA programs and asking for feedback. SB14-1562 is currently drafted and still contains the hold harmless provision and the 2002 Census data
C-DOT Transit Survey Tom Mauser – CDOT • 2040 Statewide Transportation Plan includes all modes of transportation - cars, bikes, walking, bus, rail. • Regional plans (15 Regions) that roll up to the Statewide plan • Also developing a Statewide Transit Plan - how do you maximize your transportation dollars. • Half of survey respondents relied upon family members for help in getting rides. Urban residents more likely to have trouble finding ride (49%) versus the rural areas (42%). • Most trouble finding rides to medical appointments, shopping and pharmacy. • The two most important issues to come out of the survey: o Providing lower fares o Lack of information regarding rides that are available. • About 80% of rides on public transportation are subsidized. In the rural areas, that rises to 85%-90%. Committee Reports Legislative Jeanette Hensley-Chair A motion was made to suspend any actions of the Legislative Committee as the committee has been instructed by CDHS that it is not allowed to post positions on various legislative issues without the approval of the Department of Human Services. The motion was passed unanimously. The Committee has met weekly throughout the legislative session and they don’t feel like their time is valued since their efforts have been restricted. In the future, the legislative minutes will be placed online; however, the position column will be removed.
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Community Relations Sara Canfield gave an update on the status of the Centenarian Celebration planning Executive Committee Ruth Long discussed upcoming CCOA member vacancies. Strategic Planning Committee Joe Urban Recess until 7am Wednesday March 1, 2014 Adjourn 2pm March 1, 2014
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